Ten minutes to write. Less time to read.

Judging from the long lines of cars that circled the restaurant, there are a lot of folk in the St. Joseph/Benton Harbor area who have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Sonic, the new fast food chain that opened yesterday.

The location is prime real estate, just off the Interstate, and on a busy local highway. The closest fast food chains are at least two stoplights away, and the Howard Johnson’s Restaurant that could have offered competition has been closed for years.

I have never lived in a place where there was a Sonic, but the Internet informed me that there are over 3500 locations across the country. In 2011, they served three million customers a day, according to Wikipedia.

I looked on the company’s site for its menu.  It’s mostly burgers, hot dogs, fries, onion rings, and shakes. So I wondered how Sonic was different from the other members of our fast food nation. (Give credit to Eric Schlosser for this phrase.)  And then I saw it . . .

Sonic prides itself on being quirky. And at the new location near my home that translates into all the servers delivering food on skates.  Yes, skates. There is inside dining, drive-up dining, and – as a throwback to an earlier era – there are bays where you can pull in, order food, have it delivered and eat right there. Regardless of the option you choose, skating servers are part of the picture.

I’ve never been a server but I’ve Rollerbladed® for years. Maybe there’s an opportunity here.